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What is multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a rare type of cancer that develops in plasma cells.
Plasma cells are a type of white blood cell in the body. In a healthy body,
plasma cells are responsible for recognizing and fighting off invading germs
and infections.

In people diagnosed with multiple myeloma, cancer cells eventually overtake
the healthy plasma cells. This process depletes your body of much-needed white
blood cells. As the ratio of cancerous cells to healthy cells grows, so do
symptoms of the cancer.

How
is multiple myeloma diagnosed?

Your doctor will run several tests to give you a diagnosis and a cancer
stage. These tests look for and detect many signs of the disease that can’t be
seen with the eye. Test results will reveal the following if you have advanced
stage multiple myeloma:

high levels of blood calcium

high levels of M protein in
the blood or urine

advanced bone damage

moderate to severe anemia

When you’re diagnosed with multiple myeloma, your doctor will want to
determine how advanced the cancer is. Multiple myeloma is classified by stage
1, 2, or 3. In multiple myeloma cases, stage 3 is the terminal stage. This
means it’s the most advanced stage of this type of rare cancer.

Doctors use the international
staging system to determine the stage of the cancer. This system is based
on the levels of serum beta-2 microglobulin and serum albumin.

Stage

serum beta-2 microglobulin level

serum albumin level

Stage 1

Less than 3.5 (mg/L)

3.5 (g/dL) or greater

Stage 2

Between 3.5 and 5.5Less than 3.5

Any levelBelow 3.5

Stage 3

5.5 or greater

Any level

What
are symptoms of stage 3 multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma rarely has any symptoms until stage 3. Symptoms of this
late-stage cancer include:

nausea

constipation

pain

fatigue

frequent infections

weight loss

muscle weakness

increased thirst

decreased appetite

Treatments
for multiple myeloma

Early stages of the cancer may not need immediate treatment.
Treatment for stage 3 multiple myeloma aims to reduce the discomfort caused by
the cancer. Treatment can also help stabilize the cancer and slow the progress
of its growth.

Treatments for multiple myeloma include:

Immunomodulatory drugs

Also known as biological therapies, these medicines are designed to help
turn your body’s immune system into a cancer-fighting tool. They include lenalidomide
(Revlimid), thalidomide
(Thalomid), and pomalidomide
(Pomalyst).

Protease inhibitors

These medicines are a part of a treatment called targeted therapy. They hone
in on specific abnormalities in the multiple myeloma cancer cells that allow
the cancer to survive and prevent them from growing and thriving. This causes
the myeloma cells to eventually die. Examples of this medication include
carfilzomib (Kyprolis) and bortezomib (Velcade).

Corticosteroids

These medications are often used to boost and regulate the immune system and
control inflammation. However, they also show promise as a multiple myeloma
treatment. Corticosteroids include prednisone
(Deltasone) and dexamethasone
(Decadron).

Stem cell
transplants

A stem cell transplant is designed to replace your cancer-laden bone marrow
with healthy, cancer-free marrow. However, you may have to undergo high-dose
chemotherapy prior to the transplant.

Combination treatment
regimens

You may take a combination of several myeloma treatments, such as an
immunomodulatory drug, a protease inhibitor, and a corticosteroid. This
treatment approach shows promise and may have greater success than one type of
treatment alone

Advances
in treatment

A cure for multiple myeloma currently doesn’t exist. However, significant
research is making progressive leaps toward a treatment that eliminates the
cancer entirely. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved several new
types of treatments in recent years. Today’s treatments are getting closer to a
cure.

What
is the outlook for stage 3 multiple myeloma?

The average survival rate for stage 3 multiple myeloma is 29 months.
However, significant medical advances are helping to increase survival rates. Researchers
are attempting to find new treatment methods that can prolong the survival
rate.

Factors
that affect outlook

Age: Older people
with multiple myeloma don’t live as long as younger people with the
cancer.

Cell growth rate:
How fast your cancer cells are growing can tell your doctor a lot about
your prognosis. Cancer cells that grow rapidly will overtake healthy cells
much faster. This leads to a poorer outlook.

Kidney function:
Multiple myeloma cancer cells will eventually cause damage to your
kidneys. Your outlook will be worse if your kidneys were unhealthy prior
to your diagnosis or if the cancer made a larger impact on them.

What’s
next?

Once you have been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, you’ll likely receive
care from a team of doctors, including an oncologist. An oncologist is a type
of doctor who specializes in treating cancer. They can help navigate you
through the information, numbers, possibilities, and realities. Together, you
can find a treatment plan that maintains an aggressive approach to treating the
cancer while maintaining a sense of control for you. It’s important that you are
able to influence your treatment decisions. Talk to an oncologist who can help
you find that path.